I would throw him out and ban him from any future events, without discussion.

I would tell him to put it in the car. If he refused, I would loudly gather my children and leave, and let everyone know my children’s lives are of paramount importance.

(I might also say, if I were a woman, “my husband doesn’t need a gun to get hard.”)

I would bounce. First.. Why the gun at the family event? Leave it in the fucking car while you eat Canapés.

And it is totally funny you brought up him not drinking. So totally cool with guns when the holders are sober. But a issue if they are drinking.

The dude at Arbys is probably drunk if you get my drift.

I know a guy who pulls this crap. I won’t let him in my home with it.

It’s Walter Mitty wankery from a guy with a movie in his head where he shoots the “bad guys” and all the women fall on his penis in gratitude.

@johnpowell I don’t know this guy well, but anyone who drinks can tend to get angry more easily than when they’re sober, and they’re in danger of losing control of themselves and their actions. That’s why I brought it up. It wasn’t just that he wasn’t drinking, it was also because he wasn’t being an asshole about it, and I didn’t get the impression that he had a volatile temper, so I wasn’t really worried.

If it had been at my house I would have had him leave it in the car because there is no reason to be packing at a family member’s house.

@jaytkay Oh! Is that what we’re supposed to do?! I’m such a silly bubble head.

I would be more concerned with the family members who were drinking and driving home afterwards.

yeah, that never happens~

Someone who displays a firearm (and having it in sight is displaying it, even if he’s not overtly drawing attention to it) at a family gathering is a jerk. Why would he do that? In today’s social climate, such a display is a statement, never a casual accessory.

I would have left. No sense in something “accidently” happening. I agree with @canidmajor, if you saw it, it was displayed.

I agree. @canidmajor and @chyna. In this case, though, i would hesitate to cause a scene, even a quiet one, like just disappearing. His dad is 92. That might be the last Christmas we have with him. If I actually felt there was danger, I would have. But I wouldn’t have left just on principal.

@dammitjanetfromvegas No one was drinking, but I know what you’re saying, and I agree.

If it was my house, they would have been uninvited.

Well I am a firearm enthusiast so it wouldn’t freak me out, but I would ask him why he felt the need to carry it at a family function.

Yeah, but…..again, not my family, not my circus.

If it was a close family member it would immediately be a topic discussed with everyone; it’s the way we do it. I would leave if that person stayed. I’d also let that person know exactly what I thought about it. If it were my home the gun would not pass the threshold.

There are 2 law inforcement officers in my family and they never bring weapons to family gatherings. That’s just too much.

I’d keep my eye on him and as long as he didn’t drink or get boisterous, I’d let him be. He’s either a cop, a criminal or a bit of a whack job and I really don’t like fucking around with any of these types. If he does start drinking or getting boisterous and it is my house, he is out. He can go quietly or with the help of the police or he can get his ass kicked. It’s his choice. If it’s not my house, I’ll ignore him until the above begins and then I’ll leave quietly.

Ha ha! Actually…he’s a postal worker!

That was pretty much my logic, @Espiritus_Corvus. However, had it been my house I would have asked him to leave it in the car.

This is why people who carry need to do it concealed. Wearing it out in the open like that is kind of a jackass thing to do and it just screams “hey look at me!” My guess is he is new to carry, just got his permit or even just trolling some of you.

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Don’t be afraid of a gun. Just get use to having them around.

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Don’t be afraid of a gun. Just get use to having them around.

Impulsive overly emotional angry frightened people kill people.

Impulsive overly emotional angry frightened people feel they “need” guns.

Rational people understand the connection.

“Guns don’t kill people…” you know, that popular catch phrase is about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. It really is.

@kritiper: Are you really so naive and unaware that you don’t recognize that displaying a firearm in such a context is all about evoking a reaction?

Exactly @canidmajor. Well, except that one 4 year old was pretty dangerous. Also, the little dog too.

I would hope if anything jumped off with someone who was not invited trying something at the party he wasn’t taken out before he could fire and maybe save all of our butts, and hope some others pull something from their purse or jackets to help him.

@Hypocrisy_Central Yeah, I can see a bunch of thugs showing up at Rick’s 92 year old dad’s Christmas party.

Well, he’s a hip hop gang member so…..it’s possible.

Why do so many people think we live in a movie? Crime has been decreasing since the 1990’s and people are worried about gangs of thugs ransacking Christmas? Oy.

In a very small Kansas town to boot. They don’t even have a ghetto. There isn’t enough room

I would leave immediately.
You don’t want to upset someone carrying a gun, and a sure way to upset them is to ask them to put it away.
Is there a lot of terrorism in his neighborhood?

@Dutchess_III “Well, he’s a hip hop gang member so…..it’s possible.”

Well that’s ok, hip hop gangs always settle their disputes with rap battles, not guns.

I’d think he was mentally disturbed, and not invite him to future events, out of respect for the safety of my other guests.

I’d think he’s an asshole, trying to show off.

I would’ve left. Drunk or not, if others were drinking and an argument were to erupt, the gun owner may decide to use his gun if he got angry.

@kritiper I agree with you. This is why I think all guns should be removed from around the world and put on an island so they don’t have to worry about being framed for murders that they were never voluntary too. Lets save guns from people. Long live freedom for guns from people.

the gun owner may decide to use his gun if he got angry.

That’s a terrible assumption about gun owners.

@dammitjanetfromvegas , not all shootings are justified. That is a fact. And many are caused because of an argument. Rarely do you hear that someone is shot just for kicks. It would be worse to assume that a gun being fired at someone was for kicks. Anger, or fear or protection are the usual motivators for shooting someone.
I knew this sweetheart of a guy for most of my life who went to jail for murder. I would’ve bet on several other people who would’ve gone to jail way before this guy. He was a big teddy bear. Yet I found out he left his wife (who was equally so sweet) for another woman who was having another affair herself. He caught her cheating and flipped and killed the guy. Never in a million years would I have guessed him to ever do such a thing. Not even the cheating. He adored his wife and she adored him. He was my brothers best friend from childhood. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body. My point is we never truly know what is another persons breaking point.

@chyna Yeah, I can see a bunch of thugs showing up at Rick’s 92 year old dad’s Christmas party.
Is there a time and place that criminals are scheduled to show up? Sharon Tate and many others must have penciled them in, seeing that if you are up in the ”burbs” all your neighbors are the Cleavers, Brady, and Huxtables and no self-respecting criminal would ever go up there to do devilment. ~~~

I really dislike the assumption that if the person got angry he would use it just because it was at the ready.

@SQUEEKY2 It is a lot safer assumption than assuming he would not use it. Why have something on you if you do not intend to use it? People get angry and use a gun all the time. People have shot spouses while fighting over the TV remote.

Gee, then maybe people should have their cars confiscated if they drink booze,they might drink and drive,and that has killed more people than guns ever have.

@SQUEEKY2 There are a lot of people who would argue that is the best way to cut down on drunk driving, to not allow people who are drinking to have access to a vehicle.

@zenvelo guns are around you all the time and they don’t get used. People just freak out when they see them because they are driven by fear and not reason.

Totally agree ^^^^ @ARE_you_kidding_me I have been a firearm enthusiast all my adult life, and yet if you were to come into my house you wouldn’t know there was firearms here.

Until I get shot in the back.

@ragingloli don’t you mice loving space aliens have special force fields to protect your self against earthling bullets??

All this said and done, I still wonder why this fellow felt a need to carry it at a family get together?
I mean I don’t see eye to eye with most of my inlaws ,but never felt the need I needed to be armed when I visit.

@Darth_Algar He’s not really a hip hop gangsta. He’s a Shriner. But he’s too old to go to meetings now.

@filmfann There is no terrorism in the neighborhood. When Rick was growing up it was actually out in the country and the road was dirt, not even as wide as two lanes, and it was a dead end. The only people who come along the road are their neighbors.
Dad’s sister and her husband built a house right next door. They had horses and a few cattle.
Rick got a pony for Christmas one year, AND a bb gun, and he rode up and down the road shooting his gun. Shot his aunt’s window out! Boy, was there trouble in the neighborhood then!

There are more houses now, and the road is half-assed paved, but it’s still narrow and still a dead end. It’s a very, very quiet place.

No one was drinking. I have never seen any kind of violent outbreak or loud arguing in the 14 years of going to his family events. I’ve never experienced any thing like that in my family either.

@SQUEEKY2, exactly. There WAS no need. None whatso ever. Maybe next time I’ll just casually ask him why he’s carrying it. If he gets defense, then that will be my answer. It’s his second dick.

It is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it. Anyone who carries a firearm should know the basics of gunplay!

@kritiper in Kansas you can get a carry license with no permit and no training. Every one should know the basics of “gun play” (what ever the hell that means,) but it doesn’t mean they do.

Most people die from being shot, not because it was needed but because there happened to be a gun available, whether it’s a toddler shooting another toddler, or a gun carrying redneck who got drunk and got pissed.

I’d try to understand what was going on, if I didn’t know already. I’d ask others that know him better or have had more recent contact, and/or ask him about it. I’d also gauge the reactions of others in the group. I’d use all that info to decide what to do or say or not.

Here are the people who were there. It was a small gathering. 15 people, not counting the dogs.

Rick’s dad, who is 92

Rick, 64
.....me

Older Brother, 72
..... His wife
......Their son and DIL
......their three kids, ages 12 to 16

Younger brother 60
...... His wife
...... Their daughter and SIL (who had the gun) and their daughter who is about 10.

This may well be the last time we all get together like this. The death of a parent fractures a family like nothing else, especially if the sibs aren’t all that close. I just didn’t want to make any waves in this small gathering. If someone didn’t mind it, they could take offense that I was even questioning it. “Are you suggesting Younger Brother’s SIL could be dangerous????”

If someone else also minded it, what could we have possibly done? Even mildly questioning it would have caused negative feelings, I think. That could end with Younger Bro, his wife and their daughter and SIL and their kid leaving. Hell, that’s half the gathering.

I did the only thing I felt was necessary, and just ignored it at the time, and stored it away to ask the question here.

In the future I may feel people out to see what they think. They have a family reunion every year. About 100 people attend. If he shows up packing again, I’ll ask.

Ha ha! Rick’s nephew with the 3 girls brought their little dog. Dad had his little dog, too. One family member was packing.

I told Rick that next year we oughta upstage them all and bring Dakota!

@Dutchess_III Gunplay is a very simple, very serious game with simple rules. It can be deadly. It is NOT a game of chance!
Rule #1.- NEVER pull a gun unless you are prepared to use it.
Rule #2. – Assume that anyone who pulls a gun on you intends to kill you.
Rule #3. – When you shoot at a person, always shoot to kill. No exceptions!
Rule #4. – Assume that any gun is loaded, and treat it as such. ALWAYS! Even when YOU KNOW that it is not loaded!
Rule #5. – NEVER bring a knife to a gun fight!

That is all very macho, @kritiper. Kind of like a super hero, secret, boys-only club.
He really was smart to come well be prepared to shoot it out with the old folks, or maybe with the kids, after making all 15 people aware of the “game” and the “rules.”

Ridiculous.

For those who are saying that people are terrible for thinking that the worst could happen and the guy could fire his gun… is he not carrying the gun specifically because he believes the worst could happen? Otherwise, he would have felt safe leaving it at home.

There is no reason, whatsoever, for him to think anyone in that family could pose a threat, and absolutely no reason to think that anyone in the area could post a threat. I believe he was just showing off. He’s been reading too many fb posts about it, and, as someone said above, he was probably hoping to provoke a reaction.

Just like the moron down the street who decided to use the confederate flag as a curtain in his living room, facing the street. He’s just hoping someone will say something so he can stand on his “rights.”

@Dutchess_III So, like I said, that’s an armed man who is behaving very irrationally, and hoping for a conflict. I would not be staying for dinner, nor would he be invited to my home.

He wasn’t behaving irrationally. He wasn’t making any attempt to draw attention to it. I can only assume his reasons for carrying the gun were juvenile. Hell, maybe he forgot he had it on.
I was not going to leave unless he gave us another reason to leave. Like I said, every time we see Dad now, it could be our last.

@dappled_leaves The worst can happen at any time and without warning. Hornets and yellow jackets evolved stingers for a reason even though they may live out their individual lives without ever needing to use them. Other creatures still don’t F with them if they don’t have to.

I do think this person was trolling for a reaction it’s common courtesy by concealed carry advocates to not open carry

Well, it can. But to live your life expecting that it will ain’t no kind of life. It also opens you to a paranoia that can cause you to misread a situation and react.

@Dutchess_III My best friend of 38 years carries concealed. She spends her days volunteering and helping others. She left her home in Las Vegas yesterday to go to Dallas to help those affected by the tornadoes. Does it sound like she’s living in fear every day? She has a wonderful life.

Well, it kind of sounds like she’s putting her self in situations that could become dangerous. In her station, that isn’t illogical.
I’m talking about people who….go to Walmart packing. Or to family reunions, or to weddings, with a gun. Those who carry a gun around wherever they go.

Since she carries concealed I’m assuming that she does take her gun where ever she goes. That’s the point of concealed carry. She most likely keeps the gun in her car if she’s at church or a wedding. The person in your example did not conceal his weapon. She does.

That’s fine.

@Dutchess_III

A Shriner you say? Oh hell, that’s even worse.

@Dutchess_III I am really struggling to understand the purpose of your asking this. You seem perfectly okay with him carrying a weapon to a family gathering, Okay that it wouldn’t be used, Okay that there is no alcohol involved. Okay that you don’t want to disrupt a gathering that may be the last of its sort.

You seem comfortable with someone openly carrying. So why raise the question?

Openly carrying a weapon is threatening, because of the rules that @kritiper outlined, if I saw someone carrying at a Walmart or a 7–11 or a Denny’s, I would immediately leave while calling 911 that there was someone threatening with a weapon.

@zenvelo Really? Just having it is not a threat and you may actually find yourself cross with the law if you do this. Where I live it’s legal to open carry with a permit.

Just wondering what everyone else’s reaction would be, just like the question asked @zenvelo.

I wasn’t OK with it, but I wasn’t about to freak the fuck out for no reason and cause a big scene at what may be our last family event with Dad.

@Darth_Algar I know! It’s turrible! Them Shriners are very dangerous. They bust in to family get togethers, brandishing their canes about and running people down with their walkers. They’re very fast, too.

Right, just having a gun is not a threat.
You also have to be black.

I don’t even know how to respond to that in this context, @ragingloli.

@Dutchess_III
It is a response to @ARE_you_kidding_me
He tried to insinuate that you would get in legal trouble if you reported an “innocent” person for just having a gun.

—

Not if the guy was black. Then he would be killed in a hail of pig bullets, no questions asked, and you would not face any consequences.

I can understand why @Dutchess asked for opinions and I can also understand not wanting to raise a ruckus, in light of the dad being very elderly.

@ragingloli it would be front page news, Jesse Jackson, AL Sharpton, Michael Moore plus a host of others would show up and turn it into a media spectical. Riots would spring up and people would be hurt or killed. There would be consequences

Not for the killers

Canada has it’s own problems , but we seem not to be going to hell as fast as the states are.
That was a very eye opening video @ragingloli , to shoot a kid dead in 2 seconds of arriving on scene ,then have the law say it’s ok it was justified is sickening .
The USA says it’s the most free country in the world,things like this proves it very much is not.

What irks me is when people assume that just because a person carries a gun it must mean they are hotheads and easy to anger. My best friend is the sweetest most selfless person you could ever meet and she carries. For anyone to assume she is dangerous and feel threatened because she carries is absurd.

Many people carry guns and we don’t even realize it because the weapon is concealed. I fail to see the logic of bringing one unconcealed to a family get together.

Nobody said that, @dammitjanetfromvegas. I didn’t suggest the husband was a hot head. If he was, my reaction probably would have been to quietly make an exit instead of staying.

@Dutchess_III Really? Look at all of the people here who are quick to judge. They are terrified of someone carrying a gun. I know you didn’t suggest it, but others did. They are afraid he might get drunk or angry and pull the gun on a family member just because he has it on him.

Why even bring it then? I don’t get his logic.

I don’t understand it either @jca. He was obviously trying to prove something, but what? He’s a cowboy IRL?

I haven’t yet read the other answers, will do so after posting.

I would leave.

I will encapsulate for you @Kardamom. About 15 of us were gathered at Rick’s dad’s. He’s 92. The guy with the gun is the husband of one of his grand daughters. He’s always seemed to be a nice enough guy,maybe a bit stand offish. Since we wasn’t making a big deal about it, didn’t go out of his way to draw attention to it, and he wasn’t drinking (no one was,) and no fights have ever erupted at any get togethers, not even the yearly reunions where there are 100 people, I just let it ride. The biggest thing is that could be our last Christmas with Dad, and I certainly didn’t want to distress him by making even the smallest amount of upset. It’s not like you can exit, unnoticed, in such a small gathering.

What would you think of a family member who carried a gun in a holster on his hip during a family get together?

I wouldn’t think anything of it. Putting on a gun holster is as much of a routine as putting on clothing. That is one of the reasons why they’re a gun owner – self-defense. If you’re not carrying the gun, it defeats the purpose of why you bought it in the first place – self-defence. The other reasons being recreation or hunting.

While nothing is likely to happen that would require gun defense at a family gathering, and it is unlikely that a gun owner has a constant fear (that would be dysfunctional), nevertheless, something could happen on the way to the event. That is the function of the ownership – the unforeseen dangers. The gun is like an emergency first-aid kit, only much more preventative. For example, I just saw a new video of a dallas storm chaser nearly being stabbed by a passerby he was offering to help from the destruction of the latest dallas tornados. After surviving unschathed from the knife attack, the storm chaser said he highly regretted not carrying his gun with him. link

I would think the people who have a problem with a gun being holstered either have an irrational fear of guns or don’t understand gun culture or are culturally shocked by it since they’re not accustomed to it.

Well, I can see his desperate need for self defense in a room full of really old people, semi-old people, and little kids. And who knows? Maybe one of the Christmas presents was rigged to explode. You just never know.

Or, more likely, he just wanted to display his second dick for everyone to see.

Yes, you figured it out. Gun carrying is all about dicks and irrational fears or dildos if they’re women.

Irrational fears and insecurity about their manliness.

Why not conceal it, though? Why have it out in the open at a family gathering?

@jca I do know some states offer different types of carry permits , and some state don’t require a permit for open carry, he might not have had a concealed carry permit,only open carry.
But again I don’t see a need for it at a family function.

Guns and alcohol

The father was a heavy drinker. The police had been called to the house dozens of times. Tell me again why we don’t need stricter gun laws.

Isn’t murder against the law?
Doesn’t it have the most severe penalties the law can hand out if found guilty of it?
So how will stricter gun laws help ,if these people have no problem breaking the law with murder?
Does that mean I am against better back ground checks, No check away.
Does that mean people that have been found guilty of a violent crime can legally own a firearm, NO they should not.

The dude was drunk and enraged. He figured someone had to die over a washing machine dispute. He wasn’t thinking about laws or penalties.
But he sure as hell should not have had an arsenal of guns within reach. If the polices are called to a particular house dozens of times for domestic disturbances, there should be a law that allows law enforcement to go in and seize all their guns after, say, the first dozen calls in 3 months or something.

^^ I would have no problem with that, and say he was forced to take anger management and prove he passed before he could file to get them back.

I don’t have a problem with firearm control that works, but for the most part all it does is make it more cumbersome for law abiding citizens and really does very little to prevent violent gun crime.
You want safe storage? standing outside my house ,you have to go through three locked doors before you even get to the gun safe ,which is bolted to the wall, 2 more keyed locks get you into that then each gun has a trigger lock on it , then remove that and the gun is ready to be loaded providing you know where the ammo is stored, It would take me almost ten minutes to do all that.Is that safe enough?
Gun crime is horrible, and senseless , but compared to the innocent people that are killed on both our nations highways due to incompetent drivers it pales in comparison ,but we just turn a blind eye to that,why don’t we get more worked up about that?

Because, you know, any chance to turn a gun question into a I Hate That Other People Are Allowed To Drive question is really what the OP wanted to address!

Why thank you for your 2 cents worth @canidmajor can always count on that,but more people are killed every day by some idiot on the highway, but we turn a blind eye to that and shrug awhile those things happen.
But an innocent gets killed in a gun crime and we are all in a tizy , both are horrible senseless deaths why do we shrug off one and get so worked up with the other?

Why not conceal it, though? Why have it out in the open at a family gathering?

In the state of Kansas (where dutchess and her family member lives) the law use to only allow open carry up until several years ago when concealed carry was finally passed. He probably didn’t apply yet for it. Secondly, open carry is more comfortable than conceal carry. Thirdly, there is no problem with open carry at a family gathering.

Irrational fears and insecurity about their manliness.

I think that is the same mindset the victims of the San Bernardino shooting had at the time. You know, just going to a party with friends and disabled clients that they were helping. No need for firearms. How did that mindset work out for them? Oh, right, they’re dead now. Good call.

insecurity about their manliness.

What about women who open carry? What is your diagnosis for them?

Because anti gunners freak when ever they see a firearm in a civilians hands.
That was a bit different @Jackiavelli those were co workers and clients not family members, people just have a fear of firearms that they will be the next victim of a gun crime.

I still will side with @Dutchess_III on this I think it wasn’t needed at a family get together,he should have left it locked in the car.

I see. So it is ok to think a disabled client might try to murder you therefore you should carry, but not when it is a family member? I don’t follow that logic and why would you assume that about coworkers as well? Considering you have been working with them for decades?

Obviously, this is flawed logic, but I’m not trying to make the argument that you shouldn’t carry. I’m just making fun of dutchess’s mocking reply.

That is the thing, you never know – even if the likelihood is low. Something can happen on the way to the event.

There is no problem with open carry at a family gathering. Well, that’s what this discussion is about. Opinions for or against the open carry at a family gathering. Some say it’s fine, some say it’s a problem.

I don’t see much of a discussion here. People are just saying they think it is a problem without providing a reason for why it is a problem. That just indicates they have an irrational fear of firearms.

Furthermore, the argument is a two way street. If you believe that family member should not carry because it is a family gathering, then it stands to reason that the family members should have no problem with another family member carrying a gun for the exact same reason (because they’re family).

What about women who open carry? What is your diagnosis for them?

^this. I want to know the answer to this. I’ll introduce you all to my best friend since 2nd grade. You would meet a sweet, funny, caring and selfless woman who has no desire to compensate for a lack of a penis. You would be very surprised to find out she carries.

I don’t know any women who carry. But if they did I would think it really would be for honest protection. As we’ve discussed so many times before, women are the targets of unsolicited, unwanted aggression and harassment far more than men are, and that aggression can turn violent. Carrying a gun openly would just invite harassment and challenges, too.
Also, women don’t have the same need to inflate their egos that men have.

However, I can’t imagine a woman, or anyone toting a firearm around at all times. Do they wear it when they’re tucking the kids into bed? What do they do when they shower? OMG, someone could break in to the bathroom for nefarious reasons! It could happen. You never know.

women are the targets of unsolicited, unwanted aggression and harassment far more than men are, and that aggression can turn violent.

This piece of irrelevant information has nothing to do with what was asked of you and it has nothing to do with your original question. You were asked what diagnosis would you give to a woman who carries a gun to a family gathering. Seems you have dodged the question, or are you suggesting that women need to fear family members because they will likely be aggressive and harass the women in the family?

OMG, someone could break in to the bathroom for nefarious reasons! It could happen. You never know.

Your sarcastic tone is suggesting burglary doesn’t happen? Rape doesn’t happen?

Man Rapes Sleeping 6-Year-Old Girl in Bedroom

A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a suburban Philadelphia apartment and raped a 6-year-old girl who was sleeping in her bedroom.

Lots more where that came from. Plenty of reasons to tote a gun around at all times.

At my family gatherings, there’s no raping, pillaging, shooting or physical fights of any kind.

You didn’t specify women carrying guns at family reunions. You just said, “What about women who open carry? What is your diagnosis for them?” Here..

It didn’t need to be specified. I quoted one of your replies within the context of family gatherings, therefore, It should have been pretty obvious I was asking within the context of family.

You still didn’t answer the question.

If a woman carried a gun on her hip at a family get together I’d think she was a nut case.

@Dutchess_III Same as a man. I am a feminist in evaluating nut cases; nut cases ar either and all genders.

Yes, this is usually true. However, many men do have this ego thing that spurs them to do things that women just wouldn’t do, normally. It’s not always because they’re a nut case…more like a case of nuts….BWAHHAAAHAHAHAHHAAA!!

Ahem. anyway, for example, most bar fights consist of 2 men going at it, and if the movies are any rational yardstick, a bunch more men tend to jump in. When two women get into a fight, which is fairly rare, I don’t think a bunch of other women would just jump in. Some things are…...just….different with men. I can’t find the words.

@Dutchess_III most of the people who have permits and regularly carry here are actually women.

But do they make it obvious? I sure wouldn’t. Sure as hell, some man would see it as some sort of balls challenge to their ego.

As I said in an earlier post @Dutchess_III depends on the kind of permit they have if it’s open carry then they are not allowed to conceal.

@Dutchess_III “and if the movies are any rational yardstick”

You are kidding, right? Of course, women have egos too. What an odd assumption.

@SQUEEKY2: From what someone wrote above, some locations have open carry only, but in places where there’s an option, why would someone choose open, especially to a family gathering?

Some folks just seem to revel in the fact that a few members of the opposite sex have ego/security issues. Why that brings satisfaction is beyond me.

@dappled_leaves Of course women have egos. I have an ego. But I don’t feel a need to artificially inflate mine by nonsense outward behavior, such as aggression. Men’s egos and women’s seem to hinge on different criteria.
That would make an interesting question, too. You rarely hear the word “ego” applied to women. I wonder what term we use instead?